DRAWING NEAR
December 17
Christ's Superior Destiny
"To which of the angels has He ever said, 'Sit at My right hand,
until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet'? Are they
not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the
sake of those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb. 1:13-14).
The destiny of Jesus Christ is that ultimately everything in the
universe will be subject to Him.
"At the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow, of those who are in
heaven, and on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). That great
promise confirms that Jesus Christ is destined to be the ruler of the
universe.
Yet notice this about Christ's rule: "When all things are subjected
to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who
subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor.
15:28). Christ is subordinate to His Father, but only in His role as
the Son. While the eternal Son is equally divine, He is officially in
subjection to God.
Eventually God will put all kingdoms, authorities, and powers of the
world in subjection under Christ when He comes in glory at His second
coming. "He will rule [the nations] with a rod of iron; and He treads
the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His
robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD
OF LORDS'" (Rev. 19:15-16). Christ's eternal destiny is to reign over
the new heavens and the new earth.
But what about the angels? While Christ has the greater destiny, it
is their destiny to serve forever those who will inherit salvation
(Heb. 1:14)--and that's us!
Angels protect and deliver the believer from temporal danger. They
rescued Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom. They went
into the lions' den with Daniel and protected him. In addition to
being forever in God's presence, our destiny is to be served by
angels forever--service that begins the moment of our salvation.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for the many ways He takes care of you: by saving you,
having Christ intercede for you, giving you the Holy Spirit to teach
you, and sending His angels to serve you.
For Further Study:
Read 2 Kings 6:8-23 and note the amazing way that angels served the
prophet Elisha.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
2 Kings 6:8-23
8 Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he
consulted with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and
such a place."
9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware
that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down
there."
10 Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the
man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful
there, not just once or twice.
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by
this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, "Will you
not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"
12 And one of his servants said, "None, my lord, O king; but Elisha,
the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that
you speak in your bedroom."
13 So he said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get
him." And it was told him, saying, "Surely he is in Dothan."
14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and
they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out,
there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And
his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more
than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he
may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw.
And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all
around Elisha.
18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD,
and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck
them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 Now Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, nor is this the
city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." But
he led them to Samaria.
20 So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said,
"LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." And the LORD
opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria!
21 Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My
father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?"
22 But he answered, "You shall not kill them. Would you kill those
whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food
and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their
master."
23 Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and
drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands
of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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